Concrete door-frame for silos.



. J 0N BS CONCRETE DOOR FRAME FOR SILOS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. as} 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914 I QH S COLUMBIA PLANoomwH co..wAsmNu1-om D, c.

.E. H. JONES.

CONCRETE DOOR FRAME FOR SILOS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 23, 1912.

1,096,373. Patented May12,191L

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D STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD H. JONES, OF FAIRBURY, NEBRASKA.

CONCRETE DOOR-FRAME FOR SILOS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD H. Jones, citizenof the United States, residing at Fairbury, in the county of Jeffersonand State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Concrete Door-Frames for Silos, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to building constructions and particularly tosilos.

The primary object of my invention is the provision in a siloconstructed of wood staves, of a concrete door frame, preferablyextending from top to bottom of the silo and preferably molded in situand having a plurality of openings at various levels for the usualdoors.

A further object is to so form the concrete door frame that it may beeasily molded in lace.

A still further object is to so construct the frame that the hoops whichsurround and hold the staves of the silo in proper position shall act toreinforce the door frame and hold it in place and hold the staves insnug engagement with the frame.

A still further object is to construct the concrete door frame withvertical reinforcing members extending from top to bottom of the doorframe, and a still further object is to construct the door frame insections, the sections being held in engagement with each other by thevertical reinforcing members which exert a clamping action upon thesections and each section being held in place by the said hoops.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein--Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a silo with my improved doorframe in place; Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view of one of theblocks or sections of the concrete door frame; Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection throughthe middle of one of the door sections and the false workforming the mold whereby the section is molded; Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of one of the separating plates; Fig. 5 is a perspective detailview of the door which forms the mold whereby the door openings aremolded in the door frame.

Referring to Fig. 1, A designates a silo of any usual or ordinary formand consist-- ing of vertical staves 2. These staves extend, as usual,nearly entirely around the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 23, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 738,298.

silo and form the main portion of the wall thereof, but a space is leftat-one point of the circumference of the silo which extends verticallyfrom top to bottom to provide for the door frame. The jamb staves whichare disposed on each side of this opening are designated 2. Preferablyeach stave is formed with a tongue 3 and a groove 4: to receive thetongue of the next adjacent stave. The door frame may be molded solidlyin concrete or like artificial stone or be molded in sections. The shapeof the door frame whether molded in sections or monolithic is the same.Preferably, however, it is made in blocks, designated generally 5, oneof these blocks being illustrated in Fig. 2. Each block is approximatelyrectangular in face view and surrounds a centrally disposed door opening6 which extends through from the front face 7 of the block to a verticalplane, cutting the middle of the block, and then extends laterally as at8 and then laterally and outwardly to form a beveled outer face 9adapted for the reception of a door having a beveled inside face whichwill be later described. It will be seen that the inner face 10 of eachblock, forming the door frame, is flush with the inside faces of thestaves 2. Each block 5 is also formed with a vertically extending rib ortongue 11 and a vertically extending groove 12 adapted to receive thecorresponding tongue or groove upon the staves 2, so as to interlock thedoor frame with the staves. Each block 5 is formed below the dooropening 6 with a transversely extending passage 13 lined with pipe 18through which the hoops 1 1 of the silo are adapted to pass. Each blockis also preferably formed with parallel vertically extending passages 15disposed one on each side of the door open ing and adj accnt the frontface of the block. Each of these passages is preferably lined by a pipe15 which has a length equal to the height of the block, for the passageof vertically extending clamping rods forming elongated bolts, anddesignated 16. Immediately below each door opening and on each side ofthe door openings are located outwardly projecting bolts 17, these boltsbeing embedded in the concrete of the block and forming means forsupporting the rungs of a ladder. The rods 16 extend downward the fulllength of the silo and the lower ends of the rods are formed with heads18 which are embedded in the concrete foundation of the silo. The upperends of the rods are screw threaded and are provided with nuts 20 orother clamping means, whereby the vertical reinforcing rods 16 may beput under tension to clamp the sections of the door frame, or place themonolithic door frame (if the door frame is constructed in one piece)under tension.

Preferably, as before remarked, the door frame is molded in sections,each section forming a block 5, as previously described, and eachsection being separated from an adjacent section by plates 21 preferablyof sheet metal, these plates being perforated at 22 for the passage ofthe vertical reinforcing members 16. These plates have the same crosssectional area and form as the blocks 5 or sections. Preferably theblocks or complete monolithic door frame are molded in situ and not putin place after being molded, and I have designed my door frame withparticular reference to its being easily moldedin place, the means tothis end being illustrated in Fig. 3.

After the jamb staves 2 of the silo have been erected, blocks 23 aredisposed on each side of the door opening and against the inner faces ofthe staves 2 and blocks 24, of like character to the blocks 23, aredisposed on each side of the door opening and against the outer faces ofthe staves 2 Bolts 25 pass through each block 24, the adjacent stave 2and corresponding block 23. Vertical strips 26 are nailed or otherwiseattached to the inner faces of the blocks 23, these strips being spacedoutward a suitable distance from the adjacent face of the stave 2 so asto leave preferably about one inch between the strip 28 and the plane ofthe outer face of the stave 2 two inch planks 27 forming a backing forthe concrete, are then disposed behind the strips 26. Strips 28 areattached to the inner faces of the blocks 24 so as to project over thedoor opening, and one inch plank backing, designated 29, is placedbehind these cleats or strips 28. The space defined by the planks 27'and 29, and the inner faces of the staves 2 is intended to be filledwith concrete.

The door opening proper, referred to and designated 6, in the concreteblock 5 is formed by a door mold, illustrated in Fig.

5, and designated 30. This mold is rectangular in elevation and isformed with beveled edges 81. The face of the mold is temporarilyprovided with outwardly projecting vertically disposed parallel strips32, and the space between these strips is filled in, in any suitablem2l-I1I181,,21S by wooden transverse pieces, designated 83.

It will be understood that this door mold is to be attached to theplanking 27 orv to the backing 29 in any suitable manner. In order tohold the blocks 23 in proper spaced relation while the concrete sets, Iprovide.

transverse cleats 34 nailed or otherwise attached to the blocks 28. Forthe same purpose, I provide transverse cleats 35 which are attached inany suitable manner to the blocks 24. The mold formed by blocks ortimbers 23 and 24, the strips 26 and 28, and the backing planks 27 and29 extend the full height of the silo. The backing planks 27 and 29 areput in position as needed, and the entire door-frame is molded in oneday or more, as is most convenient. The strips 26 and 28 are notremoved, nor is the plank backing removed until entire door-frame hasset.

The vertical rods 16 will, of course, be put in place in the dooropening. The mold boards or members just described will then be put inposition, and the first. or lowermost block forming the door frame willbe molded. WVhen this is set the members of the mold will be removed andone, of the sheet metal plates 21 will be put in place. The elements ofthe mold will again be assembled in the manner shown in Fig. 3, and

.a second section ofthe door frame will be molded. A second metal plate21 will be placed upon the top of this section when the concrete is set.This operation will be repeated until the entire door frame is molded,after which the false-worker mold boards will be removed entirely andthe silo will be ready for use. Doors, of course, will be pro vided forclosing the opening 6. Preferably these doors are constructed as in Fig.5, and each door is preferably used for the purpose of molding itsproper dooropening. The door 30 preferably consists of twolayers ofplanks extending at right angles to each other.

The outer face of each door willbe temporarily provided with outwardlyprojecting strips 32 which will extend into and rest against thevertical sides of the outer portion of the door opening 6. Before eachsection is molded the hoop which passes around the silo at the level ofthe, section may be passed through the pipe 13*? of the section, andafter all the sections are inplace the nuts 20 or like tensioningdevicesare placed upon the upper, ends of the rods 16 and turned down until therods are under tension. It will, ofcourse, be understood that the j ambstaves 2 are pierced; or notched or grooved transversely on theirinnerfaces to accommodate the hoops 14.

It will be seen that by constructing the door frame in sectionsseparated from. each other by plates of sheet metal it ispossibleciently to allow a hack saw to be used upon the bolts 16.

It will be seen that my improved concrete silo door frame is capable ofbeing used with a wood stave silo, and is adapted to be put in placeusing a removable form. It is also capable of being built in sections inplace and it is reinforced both vertically and horizontally. The hoopswhich run around the silo also hold the concrete door frame in position.As the sectional frame is provided with vertical reinforcing rods ortie-rods, the sections of the frame are securely held to the foundation,therefore preventing leakage of air at the sections of the door frame.

Having described my invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A silo comprising a body having a Vertically extending opening, and aconcrete door frame extending from top to bottom of the silo and fillingsaid opening, said door frame being formed with a plurality of dooropenings, tie-rods embedded at their lower ends in the foundation of thesilo and extending vertically upward through the door frame, clampingmeans on the upper ends of said rods, and hoops surrounding the silo andpassing through the door frame.

2. A silo comprising a foundation, a silo body erected on the foundationand having a vertically extending opening, a concrete door frame fillingsaid opening and having a plurality of door openings verticallyextending tubular members embedded in said frame, and tie-rods embeddedat their lower ends in said foundation and extending up through saidtubular members.

3. A silo comprising a body formed with a vertical opening, a door framefilling said opening and composed of a series of superposed concreteblocks, each block being formed with a door opening, a transverselyextending hoop passage and a vertically extending tie-rod passage,separating plates disposed between the blocks and havlng perforationsregistering with the tie-rod passage, vertically extending tie-rodsdisposed in said passages, and hoops surrounding the body of the siloand extending through the hoop passage.

4. A silo comprising a body portion formed of vertically disposed stavesand having a vertically extending door opening, jamb staves disposed oneither side of the door opening and a door frame interposed between saidjamb staves and formed of superposed concrete blocks each block having adoor opening, each of said blocks projecting outward beyond the outerface of the body of the silo, and each block being formed in thisprojecting portion with a transversely extending hoop passage extendingentirely across the block each block being also formed with verticallydisposed passages, the passages of one block alining with the passagesof the next adjacent block, hoops surrounding the body of the silo onthe exterior thereof and passing through the jamb staves and thehorizontal hoop passages in the several blocks, and vertically extendingtie rods disposed in the vertical passages of the several blocks andholding the several blocks in engagement with each other.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDW'ARD H. JONES. [1,. s.l

Witnesses C. BoNsALL, H. H. MoLUoAs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

